Love and Memories
by FeelLikeSmiling
Summary: Ash had just returned to Kanto from his research under Prof Elm from the Johto region. As he recollects the wonderful, well-spent memories of his friends, they all find out and reveal the feelings they have for one another. Will their hopes come true? Will they be with their special one? Contains PalletShipping and HoennShipping. WARNING: Contains yaoi scenes. Rated K-T
1. Home

**Hey guys! This is my first time writing a fanfiction, let alone a story more than...800 words? I hope you find this interesting and if you do, please review, favourite and/or alert! I hope to see constructive criticism and not like, "it sucks :P". Lol. But like i said, its my first time and I could have taken this time to write a song. o.O Kudos to DragonRose888(Wonnykins) for inspiring me to write this story. I actually kinda used her ideas *I'M SORRY DON'T SUE ME* but I totally changed the plot and other fanciful stuff. Ok! Enough about me. XXX HOPE YOU LIKE IT XXX**

**~ A thewaterz Production ~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I wished I diddd!**

***UPDATED AT 12/6/12 12.31am :D***

**Chapter 1- Home **

"Why are they taking so long?" Ash grumbled as he placed his hand over his rumbling tummy. _Hmmm, might as well get something to eat_, he thought. He was just about to walk into a nearby cafe when he heard a familiar voice.

"ASH!" An excited Misty screamed as she ran over to Ash and hugged him tightly. "Oh! I...I mean...we've missed you so much!" Ash heard the stutter and chuckled to himself, returning the hug. "I missed you too! All of you!" He said as they all arrived slowly. As Misty let go, she began to wipe a tear from her eye.

May was the next one to hug him. "Welcome back!" she greeted then whispered softly, "Misty missed you the most." They both giggled and eyed the teary Misty who apparently heard it and just laughed it off, retorting, "At least I don't hug and kiss my pillow thinking of you-know-who!" May blushed shyly and hid behind Misty to hide her embarrassment, giving her a slight slap on her back. They all laughed.

Suddenly jumping into Ash's arms was his favourite, one and only beloved Pikachu. "I missed you the most buddy! How are you?" They hugged like old pals who had never seen each other for decades.

"Pika pikapi! Pikachuuu!"

"I'm sorry, I won't leave you alone again, okay?" Pikachu gave an inquisitive look.

"Promise." It nodded its head and automatically settled itself on Ash's shoulder, happy of its owner's return.

The cheerful Brock gave Ash a warm smile and exchanged handshakes, then patted him on the back. "Can't believe you're finally back!" He shed a crocodile tear and sniffed a little, both of them laughing at his amusing antic. Misty gave him a whack on his head. "DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME!" Again, they all laughed as Brock apologized in defeat.

_Wow, so much laughter on our first encounter. Hnnn...I really miss these guys_, Ash mused, recalling all the memories. Professor Oak interrupted his thoughts, saying,"You've certainly changed a lot! See how much you've grown!"

"Nah! He still looks the same to me! As short as ever!" Gary snorted. Ash rolled his eyes, grunting. Except him! He flared inside.

"Gary! Don't be so childish! Besides, you're the only one who hasn't even greeted him yet!"

Gary grumbled, then said, "HAHA! I was just kidding, Ashy-boy! Welcome back!" He then flashed the most fake smile ever. Either that, or it was so real it looked fake. He then ruffled through Ash's dark hair and sniggered. He whispered silently, I missed you too. Pulling back, Ash shouted, "What was that for?"

"What? Can't miss you? Really, Ashy-boy?" His eyes glinted and he laughed to himself. Ash still didn't like being called Ashy-boy, no matter how long ago the nickname had started. Still, he admitted, he kinda missed the rivalry with Gary too, the challenges and teasings had made him the guy he was today and without Gary, he wouldn't probably be a successful trainer. He just looked away,blushing.

The awkwardness of the silence hung in the air. May finally asked, "So Ash? *ahem* How was your work in Johto? I heard Professor Elm's a nice guy."

"Oh yeah! He is, actually. Being his assistant was tough, but it was certainly rewarding. He made all my work easier and he was really organised. No wonder Professor Oak looks up to him."

The older Oak chuckled. "Anyway, I'm really tired after all the traveling from New Bark Town to Cherrygrove to Cianwood to Goldenrod to do my research. Especially the long train ride back. Phew! I'm exhausted." As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly. "And hungry!" They all laughed in unison.

As they walked back to the car, Ash asked," By the way, where's Max?" "Oh", May replied, "With..."

"YOU-KNOW-WHO!" Misty interrupted. May's face turned cherry red which matched her lipstick and her bandana.

"SHUDDUP! But yeah. He's helping Brendan...," Misty pretended to cough and May gave her a death stare, continuing, "...in his research as well. They seem to get along pretty well." Misty then wanted to defend herself but May constantly gave her the death stare so she bit her lip and kept quiet. Ash just laughed silently at their game.

_Wonder how much i missed them...huh._ He recalled everything that happened when he was with them and a bright smile ran across his face while Pikachu climbed on top of his head and slept on it like a nest. "Quit staring into space, Ashy-boy. Or you might bump into a Sudowudoo."

"Harhar, very funny." Still haven't changed a bit, both of them thought at the same time. Indeed, they were matured. But their squabbles were as childish as when they were younger.

Ash stared at Gary's arm. _Since when did he work out? Haha, who he's trying to impress. Dawn?_ Gary noticed it and pretended to flex his muscles, then looked at Ash. "Yes, Ashy-boy? Like my body eh? Didn't know you were gay. Hmph. Fitting though." sniggered Gary.

"WHUT! I'M NOT...Ugh!"

"Relax Ketchum. Don't be so worked up. I was just kidding!"

"Yeah. One more time you kid around I will punch you!" Gary didn't want to start a fight and so just replied calmly, "Relax relax okay? I'm...I'm sorry." He then gave an apologetic look that caused Ash to soften up a little. But he became slightly suspicious.

"Half forgiven." They both smiled a little.

Ash placed his luggage in the trunk, then making his way to the side of the mini-van. They contemplated on how to fit in the car. One by one, they squeezed into the car, ending up like a can of tuna while Brock easily made his way, calling 'shotgun' as he was the biggest amongst them. Prof Oak mentioned, "Sorry bout the squeeze back there. But its gonna be a long while..." His voice faltered when a bolt from the blue, literally, struck and thunder boomed, proving his words true. It was going to be a long while.


	2. Is it Love?

**Okay...I guess I was too impatient to wait for reviews. Nonetheless, please do review.:D**

**Enjoy!**

***Updated on 13/6/12 12.48am***

**A thewaterz Production**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, sadly. Wish i was born earlier so that I could have started it and owned it. Oh too bad. **

Chapter 2 - Is it love?

It was a long journey from Saffron City to Pallet Town. Misty rested on Ash's shoulder and hugged his arm tightly. May slept soundly next to Misty, dreaming about her crush. Gary just stared blankly out of the window to the cold atmosphere, eyes shifty and droopy, but still conscious. Pikachu was sleeping on Brock's lap in the front seat while Prof Oak was driving meticulously along the wet road. "Get some sleep Ash, we're still on the way to Pewter City." Ash nodded, his eyes closed slowly as the only sound he heard was the swoosh-ing of water from the car wheels and pitter patter of the rain on the roof.

It was already late in the evening. The sun had long settled in its nest in the horizon and the moon began creeping into the ominous sky. Lightning flashed, striking fear into the hearts of the forest Pokemon. Thunder rumbled like an angry Exploud, shouting at its maximum loudness. "Hey Gramps! Why don't we stay in the Pokemon Centre temporarily? Its more comfortable, it has BEDS and plus I don't think you can see anything through this heavy rain." The older Oak admitted he was tired and decided to do so. He parked next to a shelter and asked Gary and Brock to carry the sleepy-heads.

"Really gramps?"

"Well it was your idea, so stop complaining."

"Fine, but I'm not carrying the 'girl'." But he was too late. Brock had already held Misty in his arms and Pikachu on his shoulder and May in Prof Oak's. He reluctantly picked up the dark-haired boy. "Wanna exchange?" Brock asked.

"...nevermind. Its okay," Gary sighed.

_He's kinda cute when he's sleeping, _Gary thought as he stared at Ash who lay asleep in his arms. The three of them swiftly ran through the heavy downpour as the shelter was very short. Only Prof Oak was lagging behind. He was far too old for this. Brock shot him a look of concern but the professor just waved it away, gesturing an 'I'm okay'.

As they entered the Pokecenter, a warm smile welcomed them. "Welcome to Pewter City. How may I help you? Oh! Its you Brock!" Brock blushed and tried to control his emotions. "Uhh..Hey! Long time nooo see huhhh? Iffff...you don'tt miind, we'll...uh...use the rooms uuuppstairs?" he stuttered as he tried his very best to stay sane. _It's just Nurse Joy. Getttt a hold of yourself, Brock!_

_"_Well sure! I'll just get it prepared in awhile."

Gary placed Ash gently on the couch. "Brrrrrr..." He shivered when he realized how cold it was as he was drenched from head to toe. He sat on the couch, beside Ash and begin to pat his head soothingly. Brock, still shy from the encounter with Nurse Joy, made Misty stand up, but let her lean on him. "You're...so warm...Ashhhh..." she muttered softly. Brock and Gary stared at each other, and a quiet, mutual laugh ensued as they barely understood her sleep talk.

By then, May was already awake, wiping the raindrops off her pale, smooth skin. Like Misty, she too had thought her crush was carrying her. She thanked Professor Oak, embarrassed at that thought. She rubbed her eyes a little, then proceeded to sit on the chair next to Gary.

Ash then tossed and turned about, ranting about something in his dream world. Then he suddenly sat up, glancing around. He saw Gary, startled. He immediately blushed and turned away. Then he saw something even more startling. Misty was hugging Brock tightly. Her eyes was dazed and an imminent smile splashed across her face. _What's going on?_ Before he could react, he heard a calm voice. "You okay, Ashy-boy? Had a nightmare?"

"I'mmmmm...okay. Uhhh..nope! Nothing!" He blushed again. Leaning back, he quickly lay down on the couch, head landing on a soft, comfy, pillow. He heaved a comfortable sigh. Gary felt a pang of ticklish feeling running through his body and he almost jumped. Ash was lying on his lap. May giggled quietly as she saw how cute they were acting. Gary just let it go, not wanting to wake up the sleeping monster.

Gary continued gazing at the dark-haired boy. He was just too cute to look at. Ash snuggled warmly into the 'pillow', placing a hand on Gary's lap. It tickled so much that he just wanted to jump up! But he controlled and just ran a hand into Ash's dark hair. He didn't like guys, not at all. But when he looked at Ash, it just made him feel...excited and happy. A light feeling of joy tingled inside.

_Wait a minute! I'm not gay. I'm not! I'm NOT! I'M NOT! Okay...Calm yourself down, Gary Oak. _He picked up the nearest cushion and clenched it tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. The feeling overpowered him. May looked at him, confused. He decided he had no choice.

"Hey Ashy-boy! Wake up!" He shook Ash.

No response.

He shook harder.

"I don't wanna wake up!" A weak reply came out.

"C'mon Ashy! Don't make me tickle you!"

That worked like a charm. The magic word. Ash sprang up from the couch and ran as far away as possible from Gary.

_Dang! It's just Gary! _He yawned loudly and rubbed his eyes. _Gosh, am I tired..._

"The rooms have been settled!" The warm voice of Nurse Joy exclaimed. Brock shone a grateful, shy smile. She returned him an even brighter smile. Brock's cheeks flushed red.

"Chansey will show you the way!"

With everyone awake, they headed upstairs. Chansey popped up and smiled warmly. She showed them to their rooms. Then the big pink pokemon left them.

"Hmmm...since there are only 3 rooms..." said Prof Oak, "I'll share a room with Brock. Gary you take a room with Aaa..."

"There is NO way I'm gonna sleep with him!" He protested in his best pretense.

"But Gary..."

"Gramps, please."

"Okay fine. Gary you go with May. Ash, Misty. Fair?"

Misty beamed. No one complained. It was, kind of a nice combination. They settled in their rooms and turned in for the night.

**Okay...so. I'm gonna be patient and wait till someone REVIEWS, ALERT or FAVOURITES my FF. Thats right folks, you know what buttons to presssssss! Till next time! (Or at least tomorrow...)**


	3. Misty's Chance

Chapter 3 - Misty's chance

**So...just in case you didn't notice, I try to include everyone in so that you know what each of them feels. It's a bit hard though. Maybe I shouldn't have added too many...then again. Its a fun experience. Thanks for the first reviews, XFreeBassX, whatsmyname,Orpha Delacroix and thewaterz! Thought i would have none. :( Haha. (Coincidentally, I have a few other accounts from different games with the name 'thewaterz'! But some needed to add numbers. Maybe you were the one who took that name...Eyeing you. Hehe.)**

**whatsmyname: Thanks! I'm a huge fan as well!**

**Orpha Delacroix: Yeah i believe i lack creativity as well. :O Have to admit, you're right about me clogging too much in a sentence. Its kind of a habit and I have been trying to work on it. Oh and about the Pronouns...i believe i made an honest mistake Oops! . Anyway thanks for the concrit. Will play around with the plot more so it isn't TOO cliche. Made many changes to script cos I realized that the cramming was EVERYWHERE! Hope you enjoy the next chapters! **

**XFreeBassX: Thanks for the advice. I guess since its my first time and the first chapter, I'm not particularly sure of the differences. If you could, review on this chapter and see if there's any improvement. Thanks for your helpz :3**

**XXX ENJOY! XXX (\( Y . Y )/)**

"Not gonna sleep yet?" asked a yawning Ash. His eyes were droopy, trying to stay awake.

"Mhm. Going to wash up first," replied Misty as she undid her hairbands. Her hair fell into a not-so-long clump which portrayed her tomboyish side of her. She entered the bathroom, then sticked her head out. "Don't peek!"

"UH HUH. YOU BET I WON'T. I'm gonna sleep first so...SNORE..." Ash's voice trailed away as he pretended to snore.

_That was fast...I wanted to tell him...Misty, Misty, why are you so shy! Ugh!_ She scolded herself as she undressed in the shower. As the warm water sizzled on her slender body, her mind flew off for awhile. She knew this was her chance. She was not going to lose this opportunity. She wanted to tell him finally after all these years, which she cowardly tried to hide. Ash knew of it, yet it was her who would be the one to say it.

Misty stepped out of the shower, carefully treading with her wet feet. She quickly wore her clothes. Taking out a new set of toothbrush and toothpaste from the cupboard, she brushed her teeth till they were sparkly white. She looked at her reflection and frowned when she saw a failure in the mirror. _Gotta have more confidence and break out of my pokeball! Go, Misty!_ She mentally cheered herself on. She then saw a dark body sneaking in her room -through the reflection. She crept silently to the bathroom door. Quiet murmurs were all she could hear, trying to pick out words.

"...she's kinda nice..."

"...but she likes you..."

_Are they talking about me? _

"...quite funny at times..."

"...not to mention 'evil'..."

A small laugh followed.

She gasped. _I'M NOT EVIL!_ She stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Two faces as white as two sheets stared at her and prepared to face her wrath. "WHO SAID I'M EVIL?" she demanded angrily.

"Gary." "Ash." Both said each other's name in unison and pointed to each other. Her face became more red with anger and was like an erupting volcano.

"All right, all right! It was me." Gary admitted sheepishly. "I'll scram." as he ran for a door she had never noticed before. He was a guy, and he was better than that cowardly action. But he did not want to mess with her temper. No one dared.

Suddenly, her anger curbed. She looked at the frightened Ash and asked meekly, "Since when was there a door there?"

"It..was there...aa..alll along. Itss...a connecting room," he stuttered, treading carefully on the magma-coated ground.

Aware that he was trembling, Misty went up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel his tight abs. Her head sinked in regret. "I'm sorry, Ash. I..I..I didn't mean to lose my temper. But...I'm not evil...right?"

Ash let his guard down a little and turned around to face the girl. He replied calmly with a giggle, " We, I mean he, was just joking. You're not evil, don't worry." Misty looked up to him and grinned widely. "Although, there is one thing. Maybe I'm not used to it as I haven't seen him for a long time. But it feels kind of weird that he's joking around too much. Then after joking he has that...puppy-eyed apologetic face," as Ash tried to imitate it but failed miserably, which made Misty giggle, "...Anyway, he's really acting weird. Don't you think? Or is it just me?"

"Hmmm come to think of it, I did see him do THAT face for a second," still holding on to Ash. Evidently, the problem didn't matter to her. She had to say what she felt right now. This was fate. Now was the time. "Anyway, Ash, I wanted to tell you something. I..." Her courage faltered for awhile.

"You...?"

"I..I...I li..." Gary barged into the door again. Misty gave him a hard glare. "Uhh, i forgot to say. Goodnight! G'Night Ashy-boy! G'Night Misty!" He was about to run back when he heard her scream-controllably- at him, stopping him in his tracks. Misty asked impatiently, "Isn't May asleep? Why are you still making so much of a ruckus, HUH?" She appeared flustered, but refrained from shouting.

"Nah, she's sitting with me. She just reminded me to say goodnight." He replied coolly, choosing his words carefully.

"GOODNIGHT MISTY! GOODNIGHT ASH!" screamed an excited May from the other room. "This door is soooo cool!" she exclaimed. Gary then ruffled Ash's hair who shot back a slightly irritated look. Noticing that Misty's rage disappeared, he just strolled back to his room, closing the door shut behind him.

"See what I mean? Its just not him! It's kinda creeping me out." Ash cringed, though he admitted that he sort of liked it.

"What an idiot. Anyway...I just wanted to say that I..." A loud knock on the door interrupted her again. Flared, she charged to the main door and bolted it open. "WHAT DO YOU WA...oh. SORRY Professor! I thought it was another one of your annoying grandson's pranks."

Startled, he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I just wanted to say goodnight. And we'll be leaving first thing tomorrow. 8 am sharp. Clear?" It sounded like boot camp. She almost replied with a "Yes Sir!", but eventually just nodded her head. "Sweet dreams," and whispering "...and good luck." He winked. He then gave a loud guffaw as he walked to the other room.

_What's that supposed to mean! If not for you, I would have already said it and didn't need your luck! _Her anger had got the better of her and decided to calm down. Not that she didn't like the Prof. But once in awhile, someone nice can be downright annoying, right?

Ash gave her a quizzical look, wondering what made her mad again. "You promised you wouldn't get mad again, right? So what happened?" Usually if someone asked her that when she was already in that state, she would annoyingly give a crude reply. But it was Ash, dear dear Ash. How could she? She eventually calmed down.

Silence followed. _Tick-tock, tick-tock._ The distinct ticking of the clock resounded in the room. A giggle could be heard softly from the other room.

"Wonder what they're doing in the other room. Smooching?" Ash joked. Both of them laughed loudly, then softened as soon as they realized they were too loud.

_Tick-tock, tick-tock._

Misty seemed to be easily irritated today. Even the ticking sent her waves of headaches. She searched the room for the source of the annoying sound. Hanging from the wall, the analog clock read: 3.17am. "WHAT? ITS SO LATE! ...Hey Ash! We should knock off. I'm tired." Ash noticed the sudden change of mood in her sentence. He then remembered she wanted to tell him something. But he, too, was too tired and so did not question her.

_Sigh...Guess today's just not my day. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow. Just need my beauty sleep. _She sighed in disappointment and rested her head on the pillow. Ash did the same. He looked at her worriedly. Turning to face Ash, a faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks. Ash gave an innocent smile, but she did not return it. Sensing something wrong, he then placed his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry...everything's gonna be alright..." His smile widened and his brown eyes sparkled. His warm hug felt like an angel's heavenly touch. She melted into his muscly arms, her hope reignited. _Tomorrow. You'll see..._ His eyes was the last thing she saw before fatigue engulfed her in its pitch-black haven of slumber.

**Really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I'm sure you wondered what Gary and May were doing. Well, whether or not you thought about it, be sure to check out the extra 'episode'. It's called Love and Memories- Memories of Love's betrayal. It's truely nostalgic. So be sure to grab a tissue box and cry your hearts out. Cos honestly, it did mine when I was halfway writing...Heh. It's okay if you didn't.( You heartless meanie.) **

**Preview of Chapter 4: Really not sure...trying to think of something creative. So bear with me...Love all my readers! (Even if you didn't, forgot, or was just too lazy to review. Here's a reminder) :**

**SO... YOU BETTER review, alert or favourite! *0* or no cookies for you! :P They're freshly baked in my oven so i'll send them to you hot and fresh through email if you do so. SO PRESS THE BUTTONS PLSSS3 **


	4. Pewter's Cuter

**Hey guys! This is gonna be a little longer than I expected to write. Its like, equal to the amount of the 1st 3 chapters. Heh. But I think I haven't been writing long enough, so here goes! Anyways, you guys deserve this! It's to keep you entertained while I continue writing for the next plot because my ideas only come to me when I'm sleeping. XD Haha.**

**Love all my readers and those who alerted this story! Means so much to me TToTT Even the quiet ones...**

**I would really like to thank NeoAlphaGenesis for listing my story in the C2 community : Palletshipper Paradise. Thanks so much for doing so!  
**

**Oh. And it would be great if you had suggestions for this story. For example, if you'd prefer to see Brunetteshipping(GaryXMay) or Hoennshipping(BrendanXMay). Or for the same matter Palletshipping(GaryXAsh) or Pokéshipping(MistyXAsh). Its important because these stories wouldn't happen you guys! So my reader's opinions are important too!:D Please comment in the reviews! **

**Btw, you may not understand why May is acting like that if you hadn't read the extra chapter 3.5;) Can't find it, you say? Well, like I said, its under my stories (Love and Memories - Memories of Love's Betrayal). So do check it out. And review on it pls pls pls.3 **

**So before you read, I have a question that decides all of their fates. Would you prefer the cute couple of Ash & Gary, or the brunette couple of Gary & May? Comment in the reviews! Thanks and enjoy!**

***Hajime!***

Chapter 4 - Pewter's Cuter

_No, NO! Don't go away! Please! NOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOO! No..._

She opened her eyes immediately. Her heart pounded quickly and cold sweat ran across her face. She tried not to think about the horrible nightmare. Luckily, her fear was short-lived. It was replaced with relief when she realized that felt a pair of arms around her. Breaths of warm air kept blowing at her neck. Of all of the areas on the king-sized bed, she was in the middle, right next to him. A shade of rose-pink crept into her cheeks.

On the desk, adjacent to the bed, was a purple shirt folded neatly. A small red bandana sat on it peacefully. Seeing it, she tried to remember when she removed her bandana. _Nope_, she couldn't remember. _Was it Gary?_ The hazel-haired May wondered.

Then, it struck her. _Isn't that...Gary's shirt?_

Slowly and carefully, she turned around, facing the auburn-haired boy. Indeed, he was shirtless. Her rose-pink cheeks darkened into crimson red. Staring at Gary's chiseled body - not too muscular, not too skinny - aroused her a little. Looking at his tight abs was too tempting. She closed her eyes timidly.

_Wh..whhh...Wh.._ Her mind was in a whirl, confusion besieged her thoughts. She let out a small whine, completely embarrassed.

"Hmmm? What's wrong, May?" Gary whispered, awoken from her tiny whine.

Startled, May just 'mmmm mmmm' in response, indicating a 'Nothing'. The sapphire-eyed girl stared at his emerald eyes. It was so dreamy.

"Hey, please tell me what's wrong!" he asked again in a more desperate attempt to find out.

"Ummm, why is your shirt off?" She answered reluctantly, her blush still visible.

"Ohh...that?" He chuckled. "Hmph...In one of your dreams, you said you were cold, remember? Nah, I didn't think so. The small blanket was already on you...so...I, uh, took out my shirt and placed it on you to keep you warm."

May blushed again further. She never knew this side of Gary existed, no one did. _I didn't know he could be THIS caring. Ash always made it seem like he was the bad guy. Maybe because it was only to Ash...but...I never expected this..._

"After awhile, you said that your head was a little itchy, so I removed your bandana. You probably shouldn't have worn it to sleep anyway." He gave a small laugh, eyes a little droopy, but nonetheless, awake.

"After that, you said it was a little too warm, but I was too lazy to wear my shirt. Heh...I guess I shouldn't have done that 'cos I was freezing a little and hugged you to keep warm...Sorry!" He gave an innocent smile, softly scratching his smooth brown hair in embarrassment.

There were no words to describe how much she blushed. It probably broke the scale. She breathed slowly, trying to calm down.

"Wait...does that mean...you were up the whole while? Watching me and all?"

"Hmmm...not really...I slept at around...5?"

Both suddenly turned to the clock. It was only 7 am. They still had an hour to 'assemble' downstairs in front of 'Lt. Oak'. _Wow. He did all that, for me?_

"Uhh...I'll go...umm...have a shower first."

"Mhm. Take your time. I'll be catching up on my sleep." Gary answered sleepily, giving a loud, long yawn.

May took a last look at the auburn-haired boy, who rested peacefully on the bed. His slender yet muscular body reminded her of 'him' again. He wore a black skinny leather jeans which made his legs appear really...skinny. He had the perfect body for a teen like him. Just like...

May realized that she appeared to blush at everything these few days. Everything just linked back to 'him'. She quickly stepped in the shower and let the sprinkles of steaming water drown her in her own thoughts.

_He's soooo nice...then again, Brendan's nice too. But...he has a really good body. Wait, he also has it too. Ugh, May! This is not about their looks! Its about who you really wanna be with! Make up your mind! Okay, I really love Brendan. From the start. I promised myself that I would be stronger for him. Remember, May? Yes, yes. But..._

She continued contemplating about her choices. She loved Brendan from the beginning. But this guy. This caring guy who never ever showed his concern for others, suddenly opened up to her because of that story? It must have meant that she was in a way special to him. It must have meant that he could only trust her. But she didn't know what to do.

_**Torn between two lovers**_

_**Feeling like a fool**_

_**Loving both of you is breaking all the rules**_

_**Torn between two lovers**_

_**Feeling like a fool**_

_**Loving both of you is breaking all the rules**_

She sighed. Confused. Helpless. What could she do? Who would she love? Who would she give this fragile heart to? Someone who she loved all the long and promised that he would love and protect her forever? Or someone more realistic - someone who was already there for her and only to her, but she was unsure of his feelings towards her?

_**You mustn't think you failed me**_

_**Just because there's someone else**_

_**You were the first real love I ever had**_

The hazel-haired girl sighed deeply again. She slowly turned the handle and the water slowly disappeared. Her long, wet, brown hair lay on her shoulders as if it was trying to comfort her. A tear drop slowly made its way down her now-pale cheeks and landing on the cold hard floor.

_**And all the things I ever said **_

_**I swear they still are true**_

_**For no one can have the part of me I gave to you**_

She quickly got changed and wore back her bandana. Tapping Gary to get up, she then quietly made her way downstairs, still in deep thought.

_**Torn between two lovers**_

_**Feeling like a fool**_

_**Loving both of you is breaking all the rules**_

_**Torn between two lovers**_

_**Feeling like a fool**_

_**Loving both of you is breaking all the rules...**_

* * *

Gary woke up. Again. He rubbed his eyes, then scanned around. _Who tapped me? Was it May? _He could not find her.

"May?" Only silence lingered in the air. "May?" calling her again when he noticed her bandana was missing. "Hmph...she probably went to the other room..."

Gary then left that thought hanging. He would probably check it later. He undressed, then went to shower as well.

He had this tingling feeling that something was not right. It irked him, not knowing what it was. After washing every part of his body, he quickly wore back his jeans. Tightly buckling his belt, his thoughts of May suddenly made him worry.

He went to the connecting door, only to realized that it was locked from the other side. _Nope...she couldn't have gone there. Then...THEN WHERE IS SHE? _He face was filled with worry and fear. After last night, he had felt so sorry for her. He couldn't hurt or tease such an easily-broken heart or let her be hurt. She appeared to be strong, like him. But he knew both were tired and hurt inside. That was why he could easily empathize with her...and now she was missing!

Gary grabbed his purple shirt and yin-yang necklace which hid in the shirt. He bolted out of the room. *Click* The door automatically locked itself. Gary looked back, flustered.

_SHIT! WHERE'S THE DAMN KEY! OH F**K! IT'S IN THE ROOM! ARGH! There's no time to be worrying for that! I need to find May!_

He dashed downstairs and glanced around worriedly. A group of girls were looking at his toned body and gossiping about him, recognizing him to be the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak. _What an annoyance!_ But he ignored them, quickly putting on his shirt. May was nowhere to be seen!

_Where could she have gone! Wh...Did I say anything bad to her? _He quickly inspected the Pokécenter again carefully. Desperately, he ran to the counter.

"Good Morning Gary! How was yo-..."

"I'm sorry! But I have no time! Did you happen to see May, the one wearing a red bandana and clothes, walk past?"

Nurse Joy went into deep thought, surprised at the urgency of his voice. "Ah yes! She went out just a few minutes ago. Why, I think she said she went to take a walk around..."

"Thanks a lot!" Gary abruptly interrupted her, his heart palpitating furiously as he dashed out of the Pokécenter.

"...Viridian forest...Hmph," She was dumbfounded at his rudeness, yet he sounded so urgent and apprehensive that the magnanimous Nurse Joy just smiled.

* * *

Brock was taking a stroll with Ash and Pikachu. The morning sun had replaced the dark sky, shining for all to see. A gentle wind played mischievously, making their hair sway to its music. They treaded along the pavement, still wet from the previous night's storm. They then came across a large, wide field. Flowers of all colours blossomed beautifully along the patches of grass. A Butterfree transferred from flower to flower, carefully pollinating each one while collecting its honey.

"It certainly is a nice day, huh. Honestly, I'm still surprised how you managed to wake up so early."

"Hahaha! It was kind of a long and embarrassing story..." Ash replied sheepishly.

"If it's about Misty, then I wanna know!" Brock teased him. His orange shirt appeared bright in the dawn while an army-green shoulder-jacket hung over it.

"Yeah it is, whatcha gonna do about it?" He barked back.

"Okay, hmmm. Let's challenge to a battle! I win, you tell me; you win, uhhhh...nothing happens." Brock gave a sneaky smile, something up his sleeve.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"Well, you already have my badge, so what else would I give you?"

Ash thought deeply, then sniggered. "Tell me who you like!" came the reply. He shifted his cap backwards, black hair peeping out from the small hole.

Brock paused before giving a loud smirk. "Challenge accepted! Onix! Armaldo! I choose you! Hmph! Don't forget, this is my territory!"

Brock flung two Pokéballs into the air. Two flashes of red appeared and out came the giant, rocky, Onix, growling. Armaldo went into a fighting stance, preparing its claws for a feisty battle. It hissed, a sign that it was ready. It was a relatively new Pokémon Brock had trained from a young, and inexperienced recently fossilized Anorith. However, it would prove its worth today.

_Double battle, huh? _"So what! I can still beat you! Go, Pikachu! And Staraptor!"

A giant bird appeared from the red lightning and it squawked loudly. The ready calls of the Pokémon attracted the by-standers, surrounding the field. Many of them 'ooh-ed' and 'aah-ed' at the Staraptor as it was rare Pokémon in the Kanto region. Still, most cheered for Brock as he was famous around here. After all, he _was_ the Gym Leader of Pewter City. Only a handful recognized Ash, but he was not going to let this bring himself down. He called his group together and secretly discussed a strategy with them.

_I knew he'd be using a type-disadvantage. He never learns. But surprisingly, he wins sometimes. Must be careful though, he too might have a trick up his sleeve. _Brock's hand was on his chin, deep in thought, not realizing Ash was planning something sneaky.

"Ready Brock? OKAY! Staraptor! Carry Pikachu and Fly!" Ash commanded. He had an ingenious plan all worked out. The brown-whitish bird carried the yellow mouse like its prey and begin to soar into the air.

Brock raised an eyebrow. _This is new_, he thought. "Armaldo, Onix, Harden. Be careful. They're planning something." The Pokémon nodded their heads in response, preparing for the worst. He had a close bond with his Pokémon. Stronger than Ash's because he was a highly experienced breeder and he knew their ways better. But, he was not as strategic and depended solely on experience, advantage and his tight bond with his Pokémon.

"NOW!" Ash hollered into the air. Brock had received his surprise gift.

The pair of Pokémon were visible to Ash clearly, but not to the two Pokémon below as they appeared to be in the sun. The two Pokémon were temporarily blinded when they stared at the sun while a bolt of lightning wave came striking towards them. Armaldo's dexterity made it possible to dodge it, but the Onix stood rooted, motionless. It was paralyzed.

"NO! HOW? ONIX! Use Rock Tomb!" Brock shouted worriedly. Onix, despite being paralyzed, could still force a stone wall to block itself. Pikachu came flying straight to the rock wall, its tail glowing with a bright white light.

"Oh no! That's Iron Tail...I knew it. Armaldo! Use Take Down!"

The Armaldo jumped over the stone wall, with such perfect timing that it caught the Pikachu and grabbed it, throwing it recklessly on the floor with itself. Both Pokémon sustained minor injuries, which meant nothing to either.

But what Brock failed to notice was another Pokémon flying straight to the rock wall. Its wings were glowing as well. A bright, white, light. Ash smirked a little. _A_ _combination of Sky Attack and Steel Wing. I can never underestimate Ash anymore. I'm sorry, Onix._

The Staraptor crushed the rock wall and it went head on with Onix. It was wiped out in one complete shot.

"Thanks, Onix. I'm sorry I got you into this." Brock softly muttered under his breath as he returned the Onix back into the Pokéball. The crowd was dumbfounded as much as he was. "Armaldo! Take down that bird!"

Armaldo then leaped to its feet and took down the Staraptor. It missed but then turned around and slashed Staraptor's wing. It squawked in pain as it slowly landed on the ground, unable to fly.

"You okay, Staraptor?"

It nodded slowly, then stood on its feet, ready to fight. "Hey, you've done a good job there. You should rest, okay? Ash patted the bird head down, carefully avoiding its wing. "Staraptor, return."

"Now it gets serious, Brock. Let's do it!" Ash shouted, a sneaky smile appearing on his face. He looked around at the crowd. Faces of eager anticipation surrounded him. _Gary? Is that him? _

The Armaldo then shifted its gaze towards the yellow mouse, awaiting its trainer's instructions. The crowd was tense, the excitement sparkling in their eyes. It charged towards Pikachu, hands out like swords, slashing at the Pokémon in front.

"Pikachu! Double Team! Then Iron Tail! GO!" Ash commanded, reshifting his focus back to the battle. He appeared confident while Brock had an aggravated look.

Deep inside Brock had admittedly looked down on Ash. After all those adventures with him, the 16-year old definitely had proved to him to be a capable trainer. However, his Gym Leader instincts probably kicked in, making him slightly arrogant and overconfident.

_I'm probably gonna lose this - because I had underestimated him. In fact, this battle is already half lost. _Brock thought to himself.

Armaldo swiftly and gracefully dodged the 10 team Pikachu's attack Iron Tail repeatedly. Occasionally, it would be hit, but it countered them with a slash, only to disappear into thin air.

There were 6 Pikachu left. They huffed, catching their breaths. Brock seized this opportunity to defeat Ash. "Armaldo! Water Pulse!

The Rock-Bug Pokémon spewed out a cascade of water, pulses of water like a whirlpool, firing at the team of Pikachu. One by one, the Pikachu vanished into thin air, leaving the last real one vulnerable. It tried to clear the water from its eyes. Armaldo forced the ground surrounding Pikachu to elevate from the ground, then squeezed the Pikachu tightly. It let out a cry.

"Now Armaldo! Finish it with Slash!" It was the end of Pikachu, certainly. Brock smirked, turning to Ash, smirking devilishly as well. _That's strange. He doesn't look disturbed. Oh DANG! It must be another plan!_

As Armaldo slashed the helpless Pikachu, it suddenly vanished into thin air.

"Armaldo! CAREFUL!" He hoped that the Bug-like Pokémon heard it. Pikachu suddenly sprouted from the ground, and whacked the Armaldo hard with its glowing tail. The Armaldo, hearing its trainer's warning, and through its wary instincts, barely turned around to defend itself. _Argh! He sure loves combining moves, that boy. Now its Dig and Iron Tail. Even when I thought he had nothing left, he still sprung a surprise attack! _

The crowd gasped loudly, suddenly realizing too that the Pikachu had been underground all the while, once again dumbfounded. This boy certainly had potential and many tricks in store. This was indisputably a first-class battle, the excitement keeping the by-standers watching. The Armaldo quickly took down Pikachu and threw it to the far end of the field. Finally, Pikachu appeared really tired and hurt. It faintly got up, only to wobble back down to the floor.

_It's one step away from fainting. C'mon Armaldo. Just one more. _"End it now! Use Water Pulse! Use it all! " Brock instructed.

Once more, a flurry of water fired straight at the Pikachu. This time it was a continuous stream of never-ending water flying towards it. Ash eyes glinted with anticipation. _Just what I wanted._

"Pikachu! NOW!"

_Huh! What can it do! It's barely on its...wait. I'm underestimating him again. Ugh! What's gonna happen? Why does he have so many tricks up his sleeves?_

Pikachu slowly got up, releasing a thunderous voltage of electricity towards the water. It then sprang high into the air. The water conducted the spark all the way back to Armaldo which was still spewing water, the voltage so strong, immediately causing the Armaldo to be immobilized.

"IRON TAIL!" Ash yelled in victory. The long and tiring battle had finally ended. The Armaldo flew 10 feet back.

Brock dashed to his Pokémon. "I'm sorry too, Armaldo. You were great. I know you wanted to show me how good you were. Well, you did. You will be, now and always. Thanks so much." Armaldo turned bright red and disappeared into the Pokéball. .

The crowd roared loudly, it was early in the morning and yet there were so many residents, trainers, visitors, hikers, wild Pokémon and others gathering around the field. Some were disappointed, some excited. The group of girls from the Pokécenter were gossping about the battle as well.

"Though he lost, I think Brock's still cuter! C'mon girls! Let's cheer for him!" A tall girl, probably the leader, told her group. She had long yellow, curly long hair with locks. She wore a striped blouse with the words, "Pokemon Fan Club" knitted into her clothes. The rest of her group wore different coloured blouses, but still the words were on each of their blouses.

"GO BROCK! YOU'RE SO CUTE! YOU MAKE US LOOK AT ASH AND PUKE! GOOOOOO BROCK! They screamed at the top of their lungs.

Brock blushed, then congratulated the smug Ash, staring annoyingly at the cheerleaders. "Let's go back, shall we? It's almost 8am and the Professor will kill us if we don't reach back in time."

He shook Brock's warm hand back, replying, "Yeah, and if he doesn't kill me, they will."

The crowd applauded at their handshake, the loudest coming from the same group of girls. "WOW! SUCH SPORTMANSHIP! HE REALLY IS SO COOL AND HIP!"

Again, he tried ignoring them, but couldn't help smiling shyly.

They quickly returned to the Pokécenter, the crowd dispersing slowly back to their peaceful lives.

Ash rolled his eyes, finally relieved of his misery listening to their awful cheers.

"Still remember our first battle? Your Pikachu was no match for my Onix. Yet still somehow, like today, you managed to win."

"Yeah. Good times..." Ash replied, reminiscing the old memories when he first started out as a trainer.

"HEY! You can't escape it, you know." Ash realized Brock's trick, then grinned evilly as the glass doors automatically opened in front of them. "So, tell me. Who do you like?"

"Uhhhh..." Brock's voice faltered as he saw Misty furiously pacing about. She was muttering some words under her breath.

Misty turned and saw them. "BROCK! ASH! Have you seen Gary or May? They're missing! Nurse Joy told me that they both went to Viridian Forest. Remember what happened in the forest? ...I'm just afraid something may happen!" She sped off like a bullet train, full of worry.

"What happened in the forest? And them?" Ash asked ignorantly.

"Argh! Explain to you later. Brock, hurry!" Misty quickly snapped, Brock turning to the nurse who appeared a little anxious.

"Hey, uh, Joy! Please inform Prof Oak about this. Thh..hanks!" He stuttered a bit, trying to remain as calm as possible.

She nodded. "Good luck!"

"Okay. Let's go!"


	5. Love's Hatred

**Wow! Its my 5th chapter already. Doing great so far I suppose. Gaining a lot of weight just sitting on a chair and writing stuff. Actually I don't gain weight much so, :P. I will be kinda busy next week, so it'll take awhile for me to update the upcoming chapters. Hope I'll get inspiration to write.:D **

**Hehe! This chapter will be really exciting. It's where the tension all begins because Brendan arrives. Just to not confuse you. I know I may have mixed a little from the manga/anime. But Brendan's father is Professor Birch while May's is Norman. Simple? Any confusions, review/ PM me.:)**

**ANW! I LOVE MY READERS! Please continue reading! Don't ever think I'm gonna give up so soon! I'd probably only give up after about 30 chapters? Haha. So FOLLOW, REVIEW, FAVOURITE! pretty please:3**

**Cookie: Honestly, that was the main point of this story. It features all of that confusion in the following chapters. I actually only planned to have Palletshipping. But I wanted to create suspense and messiness. Seems like it worked. But thanks for reviewing. And yes, you can eat yourself because you are a cookie:) Haha.:) (No offense to my beloved reader.)**

**Oh, just to avoid confusion, I shall use my pen name instead of thewaterz. Because there is already a thewaterz. Really coincidental. Speaking of which, you may follow me at twitter: FeelLikeSmiling(real one) or FeelLSmiling_FF (specially made for my beloved readers.) But just be sure to add the 2nd one because that's where I'll be mainly posting updates. Yeah.**

**-A FeelLikeSmiling Productions-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Just my ideas. And a cup of iced Milo which I made myself next to me.**

**xxXX Voila! XXxx**

Chapter 5 - Love's Hatred

A large, vast lake lay in front of her. Canopies of tall trees surrounded the blue waters. The trees had large green leaves, preventing much sunlight from penetrating through. This made the forest look very dark and gloomy. Kakunas and Metapods hung from the trees, along with groups of Wurmple* and Caterpie crawling across the forest floor. Digletts popped up from the ground once in a while, surprising May each time.

_Sigh...I really don't know who to choose. I don't even know what I'm feeling now. I was probably just enticed by Gary's kind actions. But Brendan was nice to me as well! Gah!_

The enclosed forest made it feel warm, even thought little sunlight pierced through. May removed her bandana, wiping off the drops of sweat off her face. She looked more feminine now. Her hair remained in-situ, but still, there was a definite change in her looks. She looked more...pretty. Wearing her bandana made her look tough which was something she promised 'him' to be - strong. Unwanted memories flooded her head and she felt really confused.

Suddenly, a strong force seemed to grab her hand, then instantly letting go. May looked up from her daydreamin, enraged. A mischievous purple pokémon, with a beige face and stomach, and a long tail with a hand at the end, was swinging away from her. She looked at her bare hands and squinted angrily at the monkey Pokémon _- _"HEY! THAT'S MY BANDANA!"

The playful Aipom fiddled with the bandana.

"Give it back, you...you...monkey!" she demanded angrily.

The Aipom was taken aback at the word, 'monkey'. Stupefied, it shoved the bandana right in front of her face. She tried to grab it, but the Aipom was too quick, laughing mischeviously. Instead, it smugly threw her bandana into the lake. It descended like a leaf, then landed gently on the surface of the water, right in the middle of the lake, creating tiny ripples which faded away.

May couldn't help but curse at the Aipom. But It had quietly sneaked away. "Argh! Just had enough troubles for one day!"

She was about to remove her clothes when she saw a sign: No Swimming. _Damn! ...Ah! I have Azumarill!_

May reached for her belt, but to no avail. She had left her Pokéballs in the room. _What? Oh yeah...Darn! Ugh...Wait!...Wasn't my bandana at that spot?_ _Oh no! Where did it go?_

* * *

"Uh, are you sure we're on the correct path?" The gentle voice asked. "We're supposed to go to Pewter city. Dad told me that Prof Oak was there. Right?"

Pelipper nodded in response. "Peli peli pe pe peli!".

"That's kinda long...but since it is straight. Thanks Pele!" The pelican bird flew alongside the trainer. The Pelipper had a green and red band tied around its right wing, not too tightly. A design of a Pokéball was embroidered on the middle of the band. A huge cobalt blue-coloured Pokémon with orange gills at its cheeks followed beside. Like the Pelipper, the Swampert had a band on its right forelimb. A design of a Master-ranked Tough Contest.

The trainer was wearing an orange and black shirt as well as a pair of black skinny pants. Carrying a heavy bag pack, he strolled along the straight path. He removed his white ski hat - or headband which some people love to call it, although it was actually hat - whipping his long, black hair back, wiping off beads of perspiration from his face, then wore it back.

"Sigh...I wish Max was here. He'd know how to get out here. I THINK." the trainer sighed, thinking of the small bespectacled boy whom he left at Hoenn. Caroline would not allow her son to travel outside of Hoenn, even if he was accompanied by the most powerful trainer of Hoenn and Sinnoh. It was not that she did not trust the Hoenn and Sinnoh league champion, but after the many incidents happening in the Kanto region, she did not want to take any risks.

He waved his Pokégear in the air. "Damn, no reception here at all. I guess I'll hafta go by natural surviving instincts." He shared a short laugh with Pele and Zuzu, his trusty companions.

They finally arrived at a large lake. "At last! Water! We should be near."

He grabbed a bottle from his bag and sipped it conservatively. Pele went to the water's surface, taking a big gulp and swallowed it whole, quenching its thirst. Zuzu too took a big gulp and held the water in its mouth, eyes glinting sneakily. Then, it sprayed the water at the trainer who just froze, dumbfounded.

"Hahahahaha! That's real funny, Zuzu. Wow! I feel refreshed already! Thanks, Zuzu! You're really awesome!" He gave a wide grin to his Swampert. He sounded a little sarcastic, but Zuzu knew it was a genuine statement. It had been long enough with his trainer to know him through and through. It still remembered being just a tiny Mudkip, at first being disliked by its trainer, participating in numerous Contests, and that wonderful experience of evolving into a Marshtomp. Pele went back to the lake to get another sip.

The boy removed his shirt and squeezed the water out of it, tucking it into his belt, like a towel. _I'm sure to get stares later...thanks to Zuzu...Hahaha. It was fun though._

Pele returned, flying towards its trainer. He trailed back, almost tripping over a rock. "Not you too, Pele! I'm already wet! Hmmm? What's that? A bandana? That's strange." The lean muscular boy, whose looks and skills were capable of attracting thousands of fan girls, examined the red bandana carefully. Somehow, it looked oddly familiar. The bandana gave off a peculiar aroma - probably the perfume, 'Intimate' - which so coincidentally made it seem so close and 'Intimate'. He placed the bandana in his pocket.

_Whatever it is, it's probably not important anyway. I'll just find out whose this is and return it to them. Mhm._

After another ten minutes of walking, the shirtless trainer heard a tiny cry. He curiously searched around for the source of the cry. He saw a hazel-haired girl wearing a very familiar red blouse, and blue tights . _Isn't that...? _He gestured for Zuzu and Pele to stay back.

He walked behind her and whispered.

"May? Is that you?"

The girl wiped a tear, turning around.

"Br-Brendan?

* * *

_She couldn't have gone far! But where is she?_ Gary dashed about the forest, in a desperate attempt to find May.

He finally saw a girl from the distance, over the long blue lake. A brown-haired girl with a red top and those shorts. Gary heaved a deep sigh of relief. He squinted his eyes, and noticed a half-naked, unusually white-haired guy in front of her. _Yep, it's definitely her. But who is that creep?_

Running towards May, his heart beat faster and faster. Excitement and relief built up inside him, along with a sense of fear for her towards that creep. _I'm gonna trash him if he dare lays a finger on May!_

He slowly stopped in his tracks when he saw May hugging that...CREEP! Hugging? _He's SO DEAD!_

"HEY YOU PERVERT! Get your hands off May!" He yelled, quickly grabbed May's arm, pulling her towards his body. He turned to face her, saying, "You alright?"

May looked utterly puzzled. Gary thought she was frightened and his other hand reached for his Pokéball. _I'll squash you to pulp with Scizor! _

"Scizor! Go! Do whatever you want with that guy! Just make sure he's in pieces when you get back." Gary commanded lividly.

"No Gary! Don't! He's..." May shouted, aghast.

"Uh, deary May, who's that?" Brendan inquired, unafraid of the red Bug Pokémon right under his breath, inches away from his face. Pele and Zuzu jumped out of nowhere, preparing for an attack. Brendan gestured again for them to stay in their positions. They knew pretty much all of his gestures as he had trained them with those specific motions.

_Deary May? _That phrase struck Gary. _Oh..._

"Uhm, he's Gary, Professor Oak's grandson. Gary, this is..."

"Brendan, right? That guy from your dreams whom you were sleeptalking about out loud." He finished her sentence coldly.

Brendan raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am. I'm also the son of Professor Birch, Champion of the Hoenn and Sinnoh league, and a novice researcher. Nice to meet you." Stretching out a warm hand, he grinned his amiable and friendly signature smile, something that always made thousands of girls faint at the sight of it. Gary just waved it away. May nudged him, giving him a cold, hard stare. He rolled his eyes, half-heartedly returning the handshake.

"I suppose I can learn much from you, being the grandson of the most famous Professor. My father is quite new too..."

"Wait. Since when were you the Champion? I thought you were still into Contests and sewing?" May interrupted Brendan.

Gary choked at that word, smirking. "You sew?

Brendan snortled, shooting May a little glare. "Yeah, I sew for my beloved Pokémon. Anyway after our 80-day race, I was bored of staying at home, admiring all my ribbons and waiting for you to come home. I meant after you met Ash, I thought..." His voice faltered, the thought lingering in the air.

A puzzled look ran across May's face. Then she understood what he meant. "No! Nothing happened between u-"

"I think we can skip the sweet nothings and chit-chat for now. We should probably get out of this forest, unless you don't mind disappearing." Gary quickly blurted, knowing where this was going. He glanced nervously around the forest. Scizor returned to Gary' side, sensing tension in his heart. It was capable of understanding Gary somehow.

"Yeah. I don't mind disappearing with my deary May, right Kirly?" He teased, grinning widely.

Gary shuddered. _Seriously? What's that guy's problem?_

"I-I-I told you not to call me that!" A shade of red crept into May's cheeks. She thought he would have forgotten that damn nickname. "Do I really still look like a Kirlia to you, ?"

"Fortunately, yes. Yes you do, deary May." His smile became wider and his brown eyes brightened, seeing her red cheeks. "Haha, let's go."

As they walked back to Pewter City, Gary couldn't help but notice the two of them. He could feel his insides burning so much. _Why do I even care anyway? Unless I have feelings for...No, that's not possible. Even so, I'd have no chance against that guy..._

Brendan, still shirtless, ran his hand down May's smooth arms, then intertwining his fingers with hers. She reciprocated by clasping her hand tightly in his, then leaned her head on his bare shoulder. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot." From his right pocket, he picked out a red bandana. "Here! You dropped it in the lake."

"Oh my gosh! Thanks so much!" May cried, stopping in her tracks to wrap her around his bare-bodied waist, melting in his embrace. Zuzu beamed a broad smile, remembering how close they were when he was still a Mudkip. They used to hug each other and hold hands so often, and this act just paled in comparison. However, this time, May truly felt for Brendan. She loved him. But she was not sure whether he felt the same thing. She felt happy to be finally united with her childhood friend, but sad that there was a chance he didn't love her back.

A wave of needles pierced Gary's heart. He looked away. Hurt. Lost. Confused.

_Whatever. I don't care anymore. _But deep down, he still did. He did not exactly blame May for this, but instead shifted the blame towards Brendan.

"HEY!" A familiar voice rung in the air, breaking his train of thoughts. "HEEEEYYYYYYY!"

"Hey! Ash! We're here!" May shrilled, waving her free hand to the other trio that arrived.

Misty and Brock stopped for a breather, panting heavily. Ash seemed tired but remained his jovial self. Pikachu too was tired, especially after having challenged Brock.

"What are you guys doing here?" Gary asked, a razor sharp sting in his tone.

"We should be the one asking you that!" Misty snapped, quickly out of breath. What are YOU...Hang on. Who's he? Wait! DON'T SAY!" She questioned. Noticing that May and the other guy were holding hands, it must have been really obvious. "Are you...Brendan?" She giggled. A smile appeared on her face.

May recognized that face immediately. _Oh Misty, don't say anything please! _

"Yes! Haha! Glad to finally meet you, Misty." Brendan let go of May's hand and took Misty's. Like a gentleman, he pressed his lips on her delicate hand. May immediately felt a pang of jealousy run through her. _HOW COULD HE! And she allowed it? _

"I think we should go back already. This place is giving me the creeps." Gary uttered. _So is HE. First he likes May, now he's playing with her. Can't he see how much she's being hurt? _He sighed again.

"Quick! Professor's gonna kill us!" Brock shouted.

They all immediately agreed when a breath of wind sent shivers down their spines. With their Pokémon, they ran out of the forest as swiftly as possible.

A rift opened up from thin air after they exited the forest. But he saw it from the corner of his eye. Pausing, he observed a green, minute, fairy-like Pokémon emerged from the portal, that lead to a dark purple abyss.

"So, the rumours _were_ true..." Brendan muttered silently to himself and continued his way.

**A/N: Ah! I know I left you hanging there. What rumours, you must be thinking. Well I really had a hard time writing this chapter. Plus, I actually wote it, but I didn't save it and it was so troublesome to rewrite everything. It was way better than this. And I think there are too many holes and sudden stops. So sorry.. But just for time's and your sake, I did this. So, I had to stop there. Hoped you liked it anyway. :) Also, I noted then I may have been going out of point, so from the next chapter onwards, there won't too many fillers and I'll try to keep it direct unless i have a reason ;) **

**2 things: (NOT SPOILERS)**

**(1)You may be wondering why there is a lake in Viridian Forest, and (2) why Wurmple is there. **

**(1) will be revealed later, along with the mysterious green pokémon,**

**(2) Its called integration. And also because of (1). So be sure to check my next chapters:)**

**R&R please:)**


	6. Full of Surprises

**Hi! I won't talk too much. But i would like to say this:**

**These days I admit I have been busy. It's the 4th week of School already. So fazzzz. So many things. Being in the vice-president in the student council doesn't help too. Anw, yes I finally updated. ;)**

**Anyway, please follow me on twitter. FeelLikeSmiling (real) or FeelLSmiling_FF (specially made for my beloved readers.) But just be sure to follow the 2nd one because that's where I'll be mainly posting updates. Yeah.**

**So just to stress and confirm: Main Pairing is AshXGary, Other pairing is MayXBrendan - based on your votes.:) So this chapter will be a lot more tense. And thus, harder to write. *Sighs* Haha. I'll do my best! But sometimes it's a hassle including every single character. So I apologize if I miss out certain characters by accident and if they suddenly appear from nowhere. I'm still working on my flow...**

**Also to reconfirm: Brendan's father is Professor Birch while May's is Norman. Any confusion, review/ PM me:) **

**Acubia01: Thanks for being patient! hope you enjoy!**

**I guessed I talked too much huh. Well, here's it!**

**-A FeelLikeSmiling Productions-**

**Y.i.Y.i.Y Enjoy! Y.i.Y.i.Y**

**Disclaimer: I'll pay ten cents to own Pokémon:)**

Chapter 6 - Full of Surprises

"So, what brings you here, Brendan?" Professor Oak settled comfortably into his seat. Facing him, seated down, was Brendan. It was already nighttime. The moon sneaked into view from the windows of the Pokécenter, concealed by the clouds that besieged it.

The white-headed boy zipped open his bag. He was now clothed, thanks to Nurse Joy. The shirt was undersized and tight, but it felt comfortable. Revealing a package, Brendan placed it on the desk right in front of him, pushing it towards Professor Oak. Except for Gary, the rest of them was greatly intrigued as well. Standing up from their seats, they examined the package closely. There seemed to be a small 'oo' from someone.

The heading, a neatly written text, on the front of the package read: '_Confidential. To be opened only by Prof. Samuel Oak_.'

"My dad asked me to deliver this to you. I'm not sure what it is; nor did he mention any details. Must be really important." Brendan stated coolly.

"Why, yes. It is," came the professor's slow reply, staring intently at the parcel. It was surprisingly thin, documents of some sort, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was important.

Adjusting his lab coat, the Professor pushed aside the package and faced Brendan. "So, are you going back to Hoenn?"

"I guess so. Since I don't have anything much to do here..." Brendan replied monotonously, hoping to stir up someone's feelings.

At that moment, May lowered her head in disappointment. She sighed softly, hoping that no one would notice. Still, Brendan heard her tiny sigh and smiled, knowing that it worked.

"Hmmm...actually, here's the thing. I need help in researching about-"

"The Viridian Forest? Sure! No problem. My dad told me to help you in case you needed for anything." Brendan chuckled, reading his mind like a book. Professor Oak smiled shyly. As a matter of fact, it was too obvious. The reason why they had met in Pewter City, rumours about the strange disappearances in the Viridian Forest; it all led up to his guess. May rapidly lifted her head to this, brightening up a little. Noticing again her little motion, Brendan smirked a little, expecting her reaction.

"Actually, I have a theory. I think I know what exactly happened." He paused, waiting for a response.

The professor shifted a little, surprised by his claim. Misty and Brock had a similar reaction. May just smiled, proud of her capable know-it-all childhood friend-crush.

"Hn hn hn...I'm surprised you made such a...speculation. You may continue." Oak tried to act as professionally as possible, not wanting to put down such a possible theory. _He's a smart guy, I have to admit. Let me just see where these goes._

Brendan approached closer, murmuring quietly.

"The Voice of the Forest, Celebi."

* * *

Gary trudged silently out of the Pokécenter, poker-faced, yet contemplative. Usually that was the case. He could have stayed inside to just show his face. But...it was different tonight. Something, no, someone just irked the very soul out of him.

Pebbles and rocks gradually appeared in his path. He occasionally gave a kick, sending them flying aimlessly into the air. He walked up a small hill, dropping himself carelessly onto a patch of grass, admiring the scenery which lay delicately before his eyes.

The scenery was soul-shuddering, spine-shivering, breathtakingly beautiful. The white moon peeked in between the two mountains of the suitably named Mt. Moon. Swarms of migrating Volbeat and Illumise fluttered around the night sky, lighting it up with their glowing tails like an aurora borealis. The sparkling and bright lights radiated from the giant buildings, with the Kanto's biggest cooperation, Silph Co., standing out from the hustle and bustle of Saffron City. It was the perfect atmosphere for a romantic getaway.

For a moment, the auburn-haired boy glanced aimlessly about the scenery, in awe. Nostalgic feelings resounded throughout his body, giving him goosebumps all over. He settled comfortably on the grassy patch. The grass behind him rustled gently-but it was too far to be caused by him.

"Eh? I know you're there...Ash," muttering under his breath, but still audible enough to be heard.

For a moment, there was complete silence.

Sighing, he turned around and called out again, wondering if it was just his imagination. "Don't worry, I won't kill you...for now."

"Heh!" Ash peeped out from the tree. "Guess you got me there."

"It isn't hard noticing... " Gary's voice faded, ending off abruptly. He then gave a loud sigh, adjusting back into his 'seat'.

Ash pursed his lip. He walked towards Gary, the grass shuffling noisily to his footsteps. Then, silence again. Both just gazed back at the scenery.

"The view's beautiful, huh?"

Silence. Another deep sigh followed. He stared intently at Gary, waiting for his response.

"Mhm." He dully answered.

Suddenly, a warm hand ran smoothly past Gary's sturdy shoulders, slowly caressing it, then finally taking rest at his right arm. It stayed there for awhile, then the touch disappeared. Gary frowned a little, wishing it could have lasted longer. But his disappointment dissipated quickly as the touch returned, this time much warmer.

_Hmmm? What's this? _He appeared surprised, but hid it well. He then rested his head on Ash's, who was already seated comfortably next to him, leaning his head on his own shoulder.

"You know, I don't know what exactly happened, but if you don't feel like telling me, then it's okay."

A faint blush then started to creep in. "A-a-a-and honestly, I don't mind being this way for awhile. B-b-but don't expect me to be doing _this _everytime you're sad."

A grin appeared on Gary's face. _Heh. He's so cute when he blushes like that...wait...did he just say..._

"Oi!" Gary abruptly lifted his head and flicked Ash's head off his shoulder. "What are you implying?" He looked away.

The startled Ash raised his hands slightly in defense. "N-n-noooooo! I didn't mean anything about that!"

He paused, pondering over the right words to use. "I meant...I've never been this close to you, _literally, _and seeing you so hurt, I can't help but want to...just comfort you."

Gary flinched, never expecting Ash to say anything like that. _What's with him tonight...still...I like it. No. I can't it play easy. I'm not weak. _

"What makes you think I need your comfort, huh?"

Another wave of silence crashed down, enveloping the both of them under its cold waters.

_Uh-oh. Was that too harsh?_

Behind his back was the boy he had always teased, always been better and stronger than, and of course, less sensitive to people's feelings.

In this short few seconds, memories lost in a forgotten desert, suddenly flooded his mind. All the things he said and did, just came back to him...

_"Hey Ashy-boy! You're never gonna be a trainer like me. I'm gonna be the best there's ever been."_

_"Bah! Finally got your first badge? Well, that's an achievement for such a uncoordinated trainer. I already have four, so don't waste your time if you wanna beat me."_

_"Hah! What a loser. You gotta do better than that if you wanna beat me. Actually, don't bother. 'Cos you're hoping for the impossible."_

Then, a electrifying jolt of nostalgia zapped Gary inside out.

_That night. That starry, starry night. The moon as pale as ever, with the clouds surrounding it, like a Clamperl protecting it's pearl. It was a similar night. The autumn leaves fell reluctantly onto the ground, piling up into hills of dead foliage. It seemed more like a deathly wasteland._

_A single leaf nestled gently onto the boy's brown hair, slowly sliding to his face. The other boy giggled, apparently amused. The auburn-haired boy's frown turned into a small smile. He then took the smaller boy's hand and held it tightly. _

_The smaller boy felt the tension. He looked at the bigger boy's mellow face, trying to read his emotions. But his face was just so...plain, so emotionless. Still, the smaller boy understood. He joined his other hand as well in reassurance. He was immature, yet in that mind of his, incapable of comprehending such adversities, he innocently added, "Shigeru-kun, I promise, to always be your friend...I-i-i want you...to be always happy...with me."_

The last thing that was on his mind was the image of the small boy's smiling face...

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I even saw it."

The professor was dumbfounded. So were the three of them sitting on the couch. They were all speechless.

Professor Oak finally broke the silence. "Why not we discuss this another time? It's already quite late and I'm sure you're all tired, right...wait where's Gary?"

"Where's Ash too?" Misty added.

They all looked around and shrugged.

"I'll go find them..." Misty sighed. "You guys go sleep first."

_Where could they have gone?_

Ash thrust himself at Gary, wrapping his hands around his waist.

"I promised, remember, _Shigeru-kun?"_, emphasizing clearly on the name.

Gary slowly turned around, taking Ash's hands. He looked at the dark-haired boy. His eyes welled up with tears, yet he had that same smile from 10 years ago. That smile - it reached into his very soul, as if to calm the angry and lonely prisoner locked up in his chains, and free him. Free him from the agonizing pain, the intolerable loneliness, and the anger.

He stared into Ash's eyes. He could control it no longer. He lunged forward, pushing Ash to the ground. Then, their lips met.

At that moment, bright flashes of red and purple lit up in the sky, intertwining in a circular motion. Then it went higher and higher, finally exploding into colorful sparks. For a while, it died off, the darkness triumphant. Then a flurry of fireworks, all shapes and colours, burst through. Truly, it was a magnificent sight.

* * *

A single tear fell from her face.

She tried not to think about it. But she just couldn't. She turned away, finally realizing it.

Running back, she was now full of tears.

_I hate you, ASH! _


	7. Misunderstandings

**Hey guys! FeelLikeSmiling here! I know you've been waiting long. But like almost every other fanfic writer, I'm terribly busy and ideas are running dry. Why write then, you ask? Well. I don't know. But if you enjoy it, then isn't it good? Not saying that mine is good. But thanks for all your reads and reviews. And love to all those who followed/favourited me/my story. Arigatou Gozaimasu! (THANK YOU!)**

**Okay. This will be a short one. And a twist. Yes a twist. Nope not a twister. Just a regular twist. So hope you enjoy this!**

** acubia01 : HEY! Thanks for thy faithfulness. It will be greatly rewarded. Promise. And I will continue to update.:)**

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** non-existantance : And what's 'that'? hehe. Be patient.:) I don't plan on writing lemon yet...just small cute stuff. MAYBE will do.**

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**Okay, and now...here's chapter 7!**

**~A FeelLikeSmiling Productions~**

Chapter 7 : Misunderstandings

I_ like you..._

_I know you like me too..._

_"That's why..." the boy leaned down on him gently onto the ground, and kis-_

Ash woke up. He glanced furtively around the dark room. Only the moonlight shone from the window onto the bed.

_Why am I dreaming about him? _ He thought to himself. Then suddenly he remembered what happened just a few hours ago.

He recalled himself lying on the ground. Alone? No. With Gary. Where? On top of him! DOING WHAT?

He then remembered it. That kiss. It felt really good that he didn't want to let go. In fact it was so good, he swore he heard fireworks. Then Gary let go and said: "I like you, I know you do too. Somewhere deep inside your heart, you actually really like me too..."

He remembered at that moment, he was completely stunned. He didn't struggle against the kiss, neither did he kiss back. But for a moment there, he thought he did kiss back. And when Gary told him that he liked him...he had sort of already suspected it, but didn't believe it was true. Until that moment. And what did he mean by 'I know you like me too'? Ash just could not figure it out.

The more he thought, the more confused Ash felt. He gripped his hair tightly in frustration.

_Doesn't Gary like Dawn? I just don't get it. Why me? Why..._

He turned to look at Misty pitifully. He remembered only yesterday morning, that she had said something similar. 'I like you' was what she had said. And he answered, yes. He looked again at her pitifully, wondering what it really meant to like someone.

One thing he thought he was sure of: he thought he liked Misty. Then why, WHY did Gary appear in his thoughts and dreams?

_Maybe I do like Gary...NO how can I say that! That's freaking GAY! _

_...But...what if...I do..._

_Sigh...I'm sorry Gary, it's just not right. I think I may like you, but it really isn't right. Maybe we weren't meant to be...maybe...in our next lives... Yes, yes, that's what I'll tell him. _

And just like that, Ash made up his mind. He inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times, and calmed himself down. He then lay down on the bed. Leaning over, he took Misty's hand and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her face looked really cute when she was sleeping. It was so peaceful - like a baby. He closed his eyes slowly, sinking into the depths of slumber.

_Gary reappeared in his dreams. This time he wore that apologetic look. As if to reply Ash, he said, "Who's to forbid true love from us? If you really like me, and I like you too, then we shouldn't be too bothered about what people say about us. It's our life. And know that in this life and the lives to come, I will love you till the very end..."_

* * *

He sleepily dragged his feet into the kitchen. The aroma of fried sausages and bacon wafting in air and the sizzling of the oil immediately excited Ash's taste buds.

"Morning Ash!" He was greeted warmly by everyone. Being the last one to wake up, he sheepishly smiled as he knew that it wasn't just a regular greeting. He knew they were teasing him as well. "You're early," Gary teased.

"It's not my fault if I can't wake up early as you guys right? At least I'm healthier than you all!" He retorted jokingly. Only Misty did not smile.

He then took the seat next to Misty. As the rest were engaged in hearty conversations, Ash noticed her not-so-obvious melancholic look. He ran his hands on her lap, trying to comfort her. She looked really moody and responded with a tiny grin - must be fake, he thought. He frowned at her, twitching his eyebrows, as if to say, "Sad, why?"

Her face then revealed an angry side, shooting it directly at him. He turned around, and realized that Gary was sitting next to him. He blushed a little as a stray thought entering into his head. Looking back at her in pretense, he made another unsure look.

A little mumble came out of her.

"Huh?" He whispered back.

Misty inhaled deeply.

"YOU LIKE HIM, DON'T YOU?" She hollered at the top of her voice.

Time suddenly seemed to stop. The conversations died down almost immediately. Everything was silent and still. Only the sizzling of the food rung in the air. She could feel the tears almost pouring out.

She blurted, "One day...ONE DAY. And you cheat on me, with HIM!" She pointed to Gary. Brock , who was cooking, Brendan, May and Ash turned their heads to the direction. But he was already gone.

"Hey. This is all just a misunderstandi-"

"Misunderstanding? Yeah, tell me who took your first kiss? Me?" She coldly answered back, trying to make him feel as guilty as possible. She did not know why she felt so mad.

"..." _How does she know?_

"Yeah. I knew it. It was Gary right?" Again she questioned herself

Ash still kept quiet.

"RIGHT?" She asked again, this time, more angry, yet more pleading.

"YES OKAY! But-"

"I knew it...I KNEW IT...dis-dis-gusting idiot." Then she stormed out of the kitchen.

_What was all of that about? _

The rest of them just remained silent, afraid to complicate things. May gestured to Brendan, then chased after the other girl.

_Why did she explode like that?_

Brendan sighed. "Women are like a present. You never know what's inside. Whether it's a cute Skitty or a explosive Voltorb, you won't know until you open it." He then turned to him.

_Explosive Voltorb eh? _

"Girls are like that. Give Misty some time. But you have to convince her that you don't like Gary. Unless...you do."

Ash looked away. He wanted to scream it all out. But at the same time he wanted to just fall down. He was really unsure of his answer.

Brendan stood up and walked up behind to Ash. He whispered, "Relax..." He ran his fingers around Ash's stomach, slowly progressing to his hips.

"Hey! What are yo-"

"I said _relax."_His tone was sharp and demanding. _"Relax."_He reiterated it, this time more assuring. In fact, it sounded more..._seductive. _Brock just watched silently, and he felt another misunderstanding was about to crop up. _Oh no..._he sighed.

A/N : Hello. Heh. Twist...ies! So...I know many of you may be unhappy...but don't worry. Surprises for you in store! And you may notice my writing style may change after awhile. Well, I'm continuously improving myself.:) Anyway, please review, follow, favourite. And follow my twitter account, FeelLSmiling_FF! Lastly, when you review, please tell me when I can/cannot put 'A/N:'. Thanks!


	8. Operation: GET ASH!

**A/N: HELLO! I'm really sorry for the late update. REALLY. Still, thanks to all my reviewers and old & new followers. You all are what kept me up feeling guilty.**

**Just a quick warning: I will probably not update at all for all my stories in the next following month. Exams.:P So please bear with me. (I have a test tomorrow and I haven't studied for it yet!)  
**

**So this episode is a little weird. :X I did not have time to plan much...Still! It's a great twist to the story. Just hope you guys love it. And the last part may leave you that awkward feeling. *.*  
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**Replies to your reviews:****  
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**acuba01: Fanfiction bot says: "The author would like to thank you for your continuous support." I say:*hugs*Thanks so much. Hmmm...I'll try to come up with some although the main theme is you-know-who and you-know-who.:)  
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**thetruth176(Guest): Hmmm? I don't recall making silly mistakes like that, especially they're and their. If you do...please tell me which chap! I find those really silly to make. And thanks for your awesome recipe of awesomeness! Will continue baking it:) HAHA!  
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**It's me(Guest): Well...its not chapter 3. It's listed as another story...So go cry on that one. (Which you prolly wont.:P) Thanks! And not really...Latias kissed him. So it was noooottt really his first one.:)  
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**Just a(nother) shoutout to GreenSeal! Thanks for continuously reviewing. You will be forever remembered in my list of stalkers. HAHA kidding!:D Well, yeah. Please review this really weird Chapter. XD  
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**And also, I will be fulfilling NiceGirlBadVillian's request soon.:) Any other suggestions are well accepted.  
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**See you guys in a month's time! Please check out my other stories.:D  
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**Chapter 8: Operation: GET ASH!  
**

"No...don't..."

"Relax. Relax. Relax." And he kept whispering that same word into Ash's ear like sweet-nothings while his hands kept wandering about the smaller boy's body.

_Why am I letting him do this? Why is my body not responding? Is he...testing me? ...Someone...help..._

"Ash...you're so cute you know...It's so tempting to..." And Brendan's voice faltered.

Ash thought in his head, _TO DO WHAT?_ and he wanted to say it out loud, but someone had apparently beat him to it.

There seemed to be a silence. As if it was waiting for something. Brendan kept repeating 'to' while Ash just appeared disgusted, oblivious to what Brendan was actually thinking about.

"To do what?" A voice echoed throughout the kitchen. Brock was nowhere to be seen...then who could it be?

"TO DO WHAT?" It repeated. Then in a matter of seconds, the scene suddenly changed. Ash was completely flustered as he was flung around like a doll. _What on earth just happened?_

He was now in Gary's arms. _What in the freaki- Gary! _

"Stay away from Ash." Gary declared as he took Ash by the hand and dragged him out to his room, whom he now shared with no one because May moved to another room with Brendan.

"You okay?" Gary asked. He let go of Ash's hand reluctantly, though he didn't show it. _Slow and steady now...you don't wanna lose this moment too quickly._

"Just...weirded out. I mean..."

"I getcha. I think Brendan had too much drinks last night. Trust me, he usually isn't like this. Besides, he has May. What would he want you for?"

"That's what I'm scared about! What if he doesn't? Maybe he's been lying to May all the while? I mean remember in the Viridian forest? I could see your hatred for that guy! Where did it all go?" Ash answered, unusally angry. Of course, he pretended that that night didn't exist. Well, he had to, if not every conversation was going to be awkward.

"I don't know...maybe...Maybe I didn't like May after all. It was just a distorted illusion. Besides, it was probably because the forest didn't feel right. Didn't you feel it too?"

"A little, I suppose..."

A reflective silence followed.

"Anyway, just don't take it to heart. I'm sure he'd apologize later."

"Really?" Ash shot a sarcastic remark back to Gary with an 'as-if-he'll-do-it' face

"Yeah. If he doesn't," He moved closer to Ash. "I'll make him."

Then he ruffled Ash's hair. Too bad he left his cap upstairs. Ash just blushed, and then 'that' night came back to memory.

"I'm gonna bathe first. If you don't mind." Gary took off his shirt and threw it on the bed.

"Hey!"

He turned around. Ash blushed at the half-naked dude.

"Umm...thanks for help-ping me..."

"Whate- Your welcome. Ashy-boy." And he smiled.

Ash blushed even more.

"Misty...don't cry." May tried to comfort Misty, who was teary-eyed and her hands were covered in salty tears.

"I can't...*sniff*..." Misty sobbed. Her words were a little unclear as she was covering her mouth - basically her whole face. "I can't...How do you expect me not to cry?"

"Well...I'm sorry. But..." She patted Misty. _Yeah. How can I expect her not to cry. She was basically forced to do this. Because she really loved Ash. How did she have to strength to actually think of this..._

"At least...at least it went according to plan. I'll get back with Brendan and Gary. As planned."

"Yep...*sniff*..."

May whipped out her phone and dialled Brendan's number. She was faintly excited to see how it went.

"Hey Brendan?"

"Yes, deary May?"

"Pfft! I told you not to call me that! Anyways, how did it go?"

There was a disturbing yet mocking laugh over the phone.

"How did it go? How did it GO? Well...let's just say, do not ever make me do that again or I will keep calling you Deary-May from now on." He teasingly replied.

"HEY! It was Misty's idea. So don't blame me! And thankfully I called Brock out. I can't believe we forgot to tell him about this. He could have spoilt it!" She scratched her hair on reflex.

"Nah...he was just staring. Awkwardly." Brendan shiverred at the thought of doing _it_ again.

"Hmmm...What did it feel li-"

"Please don't go there." Brendan cut in. He didn't want to be reminded at all, even if it was for love's sake.

"Hahaha! So is Ash...?" She smirked, even though he couldn't see it.

"A little." He smirked back. _More like an easy prey. Gosh, why is Ash so weak to this kind of thing._

"Good, I'll see you later then."

"Sure! Wait. Actually, where are you?"

"Uhm...we're in our room."

"Will be there in a minute, hun." He replied.

She blushed turned to Misty excitedly, thinking that Brendan had hung up. "Did you hear that? He called me 'hun'! I looooove him!" Misty faked a smile, looking as real as possible - she didn't wanna fake it though.

Brendan then hung up. He just 'hmph-ed' and smiled after hearing May's reaction as he walked up the stairs. _Gosh...she's darn cute._

Gary walked out of the bathroom with a small face towel wrapped over his hips. He looked around. Ash was nowhere to be seen. He took off his towel and jumped on the bed and landed face down in a cluster of soft pillows, enjoying the natural feeling of being totally naked.

_I'm glad that turned out well..Hmmm. Thanks Misty. Though I have to make sure that the next plan goes well..._

Then suddenly, someone barged in through the connecting door.

"Hey Gary! You done ba..."

Gary turned around. It took at least ten seconds for him to realize that Ash was intently staring at his body. His butt was practically facing Ash, who was still just staring, dumbstruck. Both of them quickly turned away at the same time, blushing. Gary fumbled for the blanket and covered himself completely, drenching in embarrassment.

"AAAAAAASH?" Gary screamed back at Ash.

_GAAAWWWDDD! THIS IS SOOO EMBARASSING! SOMEONE KILL ME NOW!_

__**A/N: If you didn't feel awkward, you're weird. *_* BYEE! Please review! And follow me on twitter, FeelLSmiling_FF  
**


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